In a troubling turn for Southeast Asia, a wave of online fraud and human trafficking scams has ensnared thousands, with Malaysians and other regional victims finding themselves trapped in foreign countries, abused, and forced into criminal activities. Recent findings by the Malaysian Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) and a major international conference in Bangkok have shed new light on the evolving tactics of scam syndicates and the urgent need for coordinated global action.
According to the MHO, the vast majority of Malaysians who fall victim to overseas trafficking and employment fraud are not recruited through flashy online advertisements, but rather by people they know—friends, acquaintances, and even peers. Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim, Secretary-General of MHO, told reporters at the organization's office that "I can say that 80 percent of the victims in those locations were brought by friends, not through social media. The syndicate’s methods are evolving, using peer agents to entice victims with displays of a luxurious lifestyle." This marks a significant shift from previous years, where social media platforms were the primary hunting grounds for traffickers.
The consequences of these scams are harrowing. Young Malaysians, often between the ages of 18 and 24, are lured abroad with promises of lucrative jobs, only to discover upon arrival that they have been deceived. Once overseas, many are forced to work in fraud centers—essentially scam call centers—where they are subjected to appalling conditions. "Most victims only realise they have been deceived after arriving abroad and being forced to work in fraud centres," Hishamuddin added, underscoring the vulnerability of youth who place more trust in friends than in official warnings.
The stories emerging from families are gut-wrenching. Five Malaysian families have recently pleaded for government intervention to rescue their children trapped in Taiwan and Cambodia. The victims, some barely out of their teens, have suffered physical abuse, starvation, electric shocks, and extortionate ransom demands. In some cases, the nightmare has ended with lengthy prison sentences. Celine, 23, recounted her brother's ordeal: "My brother found the job through an online application offering employment in Taiwan. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being detained and charged for involvement with a fraud syndicate there. He suffered physical abuse leaving visible scars. We are now exploring avenues to appeal the sentence and seek a reduction."
Other families have described similar horrors. Ooh from Hulu Selangor said her 18-year-old son Chin was beaten, starved, and electrocuted in Cambodia. Vivian, 52, shared how her 24-year-old son Brian had his passport confiscated upon arrival and was held by a syndicate demanding escalating ransoms. These testimonies paint a grim picture of the human cost of international scam syndicates, which prey on the hopes and naivety of young job-seekers.
The Malaysian government, in coordination with MHO, has managed some successes. In a recent operation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs facilitated the repatriation of 20 Malaysians who had been trapped in online fraud syndicates in Myawaddy, Myanmar. The group was safely returned via the ICQS Bukit Kayu Hitam complex and handed over to the Royal Malaysian Police for further investigation. "The successful return of 20 individuals demonstrates the importance of close collaboration among various agencies, including Malaysian embassies and authorities in Myanmar and Thailand," Hishamuddin said. Notably, twelve of those repatriated had previously been reported missing by their families, highlighting the ongoing need for vigilant monitoring and rapid response.
MHO remains steadfast in its commitment to support victims and their families. "This is a humanitarian matter, and we are committed to ensuring the safe return of all victims while supporting their families at every stage of the process," Hishamuddin emphasized. The organization continues to work with Malaysian embassies in Taiwan, Cambodia, and other countries affected by these scams, aiming to conduct rescue operations, monitor syndicate activity, and prevent further cases of exploitation.
But Malaysia is not alone in facing this threat. The problem of online scams and trafficking is regional—and indeed, global—in scope. On December 17 and 18, 2025, Thailand and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) hosted a landmark conference in Bangkok, culminating in the launch of the Global Partnership Against Online Scams. The partnership, signed by Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Peru, and the United Arab Emirates, aims to bolster political commitment, law enforcement, victim protection, public awareness, and crucially, cross-border collaboration.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, in his keynote speech, put it bluntly: "Online scams reveal a deeper problem—a collective vulnerability that no country can address alone." The conference brought together more than 300 participants from nearly 60 countries, including heavyweights from the private sector like Meta and TikTok. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, presented a threat report highlighting the growing use of artificial intelligence by scam networks and the steps the company is taking to combat them. TikTok, one of the world's most popular social media platforms, signed the conference's closing statement and announced new agreements to form a U.S. joint venture, signaling its commitment to the anti-scam effort.
The numbers are staggering. Scam centers, which extort money from victims using bogus investment schemes and fake romantic interests, have proliferated across Southeast Asia. According to UNODC estimates, victims lost between $18 billion and $37 billion in 2023 alone. The scale and sophistication of these operations have made them a regional menace, with recent high-profile cases—including scam center raids in Myanmar, victim repatriation issues in Thailand, and the tragic death of a South Korean student forced into scam work in Cambodia—spurring calls for urgent action.
Cambodia, widely recognized as a hub for scam compounds, was notably absent from the Bangkok conference due to ongoing armed conflict with Thailand. Nevertheless, similar pledges to combat scam networks have been made by members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and in October 2025, more than 70 countries signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in Vietnam. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres hailed the document as "a vow that no country, no matter their level of development, will be left defenseless against cybercrime."
Private sector engagement was a key theme throughout the Bangkok conference. Brian Hanley, Asia-Pacific director of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, which TikTok joined this month, stressed, "Scams are exploiting, not only transnational boundaries, but also the seams across various platforms from banks, telcos, to social media platforms." He added, "We’re starting to get critical mass and momentum as everyone realizes it’s affecting their bottom lines and consumer trust." The hope is that with more stakeholders at the table, from governments to tech giants, the fight against online scams will gain the traction needed to make a real difference.
As regional and global efforts intensify, the stories of victims serve as a stark reminder of what’s at stake. Behind every statistic is a family desperate for answers, and a young person whose dreams have been shattered by false promises. The evolving tactics of scam syndicates demand constant vigilance, innovative solutions, and above all, international solidarity. For now, organizations like MHO and new global partnerships offer a glimmer of hope in an otherwise grim landscape.